The Saugeen Shores Fire Department along with Police are looking into what caused an early morning house fire on Bricker Street in Port Elgin.
Fire Chief Phil Eagleson says they were called just before 1:30 Tuesday morning (May 12th) to a fire that began in an unoccupied home under renovation.
“It was a very rapidly evolving fire that caught the house next door on fire,” says Eagleson noting the neighbouring young family of four was home at the time and got out safely.
About 32 firefighters and five trucks from Southampton and Port Elgin were able to save the second house from extensive damage.
Eagleson says with damage to the neighbour's house limited to the exterior, that family is back in their home.
He notes the house under renovation where the fire started was a total loss.
Eagleson says because the blaze didn't start for the usual common reasons, it's being looked into, “We are currently investigating the cause of that fire.”
He notes the Fire Marshall's Office was notified, but not yet called in, “Due to the fact that the house was unoccupied at the time, it was suspicious in nature and the Saugeen Shores Police Department and the Saugeen Shores Fire Department continue to investigate the cause of the fire.”
Eagleson says it took about four and a half hours to put out the blaze.